A First Investigation Report (FIR) was registered on Monday, the 3rd of February, 2020 against former Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh Governor Aziz Qureshi, among others, in connection with a candle march organised against the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) on February 2nd, 2020 in Lucknow.
According to the FIR registered in Gomti Nagar police station on the 4th February, 2020, the march had been organised without taking permission from the administration.
In the FIR, the complainant has alleged that the protesters were unable to produce any written permission for carrying out the march. Qureshi has been named as one of the leaders of the march in the FIR.
Earlier on January 30th, 2020 Qureshi had said that the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA) is "communal".
Quershi had come to Lucknow support women protesting against CAA andNational Registrar of Citizens (NRC) at the historic Clock Tower here, had said: "Why is this law being brought? This country does not need anything on the basis of religion. People here need employment. People here need justice against injustice."
The newly enacted law is facing stiff opposition across the country with some states including Kerala, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Punjab refusing to implement the law there.
The CAA grants citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, and Christian refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, who came to India on or before December 31st, 2014.
Author - Dyuti Pandya
